Krishnagar, Oct. 12: Opposition politicians are fuming in Nadia after police turned down their request for protection in the wake of the murder of Trinamul Congress leader Samir Nag last month.

The administration had earlier withdrawn security guards of 22 politicians, including Nag, apparently due to a funds crunch.

The police administration asked politicians to make their own security arrangement. “It would not be possible to provide constables as security guards. If you feel your security is threatened, you may hire trained personnel from private security agencies for your protection after intimation to the local police,” wrote M. Rahaman, superintendent of police, District Intelligence Branch, to a senior Congress leader in Nadia recently.

He added: “…we live in a society which has an in-built security system. A man becomes vulnerable when he himself disturbs the balance of the in-built social security system. Police is a government agency which gives security to the masses in general and not to the individual and insignificant political leaders.”

Nadia additional police superintendent Pallab Kanti Ghosh said it was not possible to provide guards to every individual “due to the severe financial crisis”.

Several politicians took strong exception to the letter’s language, calling it an “insult”. “How can the police utter such harsh language about political leaders' This has to be condemned by all right-thinking people,” said Sankar Singh, MLA and district Congress chief.